(the forbidden), we must examine our relationship with Allah. Most of all, we must never be
deceived. We must never allow ourselves to think that anything in this world succeeds, fails, is given,
taken, done, or undone without Allah. It is only by our connection to our Creator that we rise or fall in
life, in our relationship with our world—and with all of humanity.
But unlike humanity, our Creator doesn’t hold grudges. Imagine receiving a clean slate. Imagine
having everything you ever regret doing erased completely. Ramadan is that chance. The Prophet
told us: “Whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s
rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.” (Bukhari)
So given this unparalleled opportunity, how can we best take advantage of it? Two often overlooked
issues to keep in mind are:
Know why you’re fasting:
Many people fast as a ritual, without truly understanding its meaning. Others reduce it to a simple
exercise in empathy with the poor. While this is a beautiful consequence of fasting, it is not the main
purpose defined by Allah. Allah says in the Qur’an: “Fasting is prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwa (God-consciousness).” (Qur’an, 2:183) By
controlling and restraining our physical needs, we gain strength for the greater battle: controlling and
restraining our nafs (our soul’s desire). When fasting, every hunger pang reminds us of God—the one
for whom we have made this sacrifice. By constantly remembering Allah and sacrificing for Him, we
are made more aware of His presence, and in that way we increase our taqwa (fear and
consciousness of Him). The same thing that prevents us from the sin of sneaking in food while no one
else is watching trains us to avoid other sins while no one else is watching. That is taqwa.
Don’t make fasting just hunger and thirst:
The Prophet has said, “Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not
in need of his leaving his food and drink.” (Al-Bukhari) The Prophet also warns us: “Many
people who fast get nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst, and many people who pray at
night get nothing from it except wakefulness.” (Darimi) While fasting, understand the whole picture.
Remember that fasting is not just about staying away from food. It is about striving to become a better
person.
And in so striving, we are given a chance to escape the darkness of our own isolation from God. But
like the sun that sets at the end of the day, so too will Ramadan come and go, leaving only its mark on
our heart’s sky.